Flora and Fauna

The site provides habitat for birds and many mammals. There have been sightings of deer, fox, and turkey. The DEC’s Natural Heritage Program cites the area as home to Chytonix ruperti (a Noctuid moth). Fauna also include breeding population of Hoary Edge butterflies (whose caterpillars dine exclusively on food plant D. ciliare).A study by the Nature Conservancy shows lakeshore and urban wilds, both critical to migratory birds: “Migrating birds are more abundant in areas with greater woody cover and in patches of woody cover close to Lake Ontario.” There are a diverse group of birds that use Irondequoit Bay habitat as migratory stopover area. Confirmed breeding populations of birds in the Irondequoit area include: Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Screech Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood Pewee, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, American Robin, Wood Thrush, Veery, Cedar Waxwing, Starling, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Tree Swallow, Yellow-throated Vireo, Mourning Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Rufous-sided Towhee, House Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Oriole, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, House Finch, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, American Goldfinch, and Chipping Sparrow. Eagles have also been spotted hunting on the area.